OSPA selected for the Apple Impact Accelerator Program
TRIBAL LANDS IN THE DAKOTA REGION — The Oceti Sakowin Power Authority announced on August 17 that it has been selected to join the Apple Impact Accelerator, a new program for minority-owned businesses that are creating environmental solutions focused on climate change, resource conservation and smarter chemistry. OSPA is one of 15 businesses selected for Apple’s first Impact Accelerator cohort.
“OSPA is honored to be selected for the Apple Impact Accelerator program, and excited about the tools and opportunities we will gain to fulfil our dual mission to heal the earth and to bring needed jobs and economic development to our struggling communities through the development of utility‐scale clean energy projects on our reservations,” said Lyle Jack, Chairman of the Oceti Sakowin Power Authority and member of the Oglala Lakota Nation. “We commend Apple for bringing the same leadership and innovation to helping address economic inequality as it has to combatting climate change.”
In an unprecedented partnership, six Sioux Tribes in the Dakotas formed the Oceti Sakowin Power Authority (pronounced O‐chet‐EE Sha‐KO‐wee, aka the Great Sioux Nation) to jointly develop their wind and solar resources, bringing socially responsible and sustainable economic development to their communities and preserving the earth for future generations. OSPA, the only Native American‐owned developer dedicated to building utility‐scale renewable energy projects on Tribal lands, is currently developing two wind farms – Pass Creek, 120 MW on the Oglala Pine Ridge Reservation, and Ta’teh Topah, 450 MW on the Cheyenne River Reservation – in partnership with Apex Clean Energy. With this first phase of development underway, OSPA is on track to produce up to 2 gigawatts of emissions‐free electricity across the lands of all OSPA Tribes. For more information, please visit www.ospower.org.
As part of the three‐month Impact Accelerator program, the Oceti Sakowin Power Authority will participate in courses, live sessions, and one‐on‐one meetings with Apple team members to identify opportunities to align with Apple’s environmental goals. With ongoing mentorship from Apple and an expanding Impact Accelerator network, OSPA will have access to continuous growth and networking opportunities with alumni companies that share a commitment to the environment.
“We are thrilled to welcome our first Impact Accelerator class, and look forward to seeing how these innovative businesses will expand their work to protect the planet and our communities,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives. “On our journey to our 2030 carbon neutral goal for our supply chain and products, we’re determined to help create a greener and more equitable future for all people. The businesses we’re partnering with today are poised to become tomorrow’s diverse and innovative industry leaders, creating ripples of change to help communities everywhere adapt to the urgent challenges posed by climate change.”
Apple has committed to be carbon neutral for its entire business and supply chain by 2030 and is already carbon neutral for its corporate operations. The Impact Accelerator was announced last year as part of Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, focused on addressing education, economic equality, and criminal justice reform. For more information, visit
(Story courtesy of Oceti Sakowin Power Authority)
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August 26, 2021